Combined steam and explosive engine.



No. 654,76I.

Patented July 3l, |900.

(LPALM. COMBINED STEAM AND EXPL'DSIVE ENGINE.

(Applicatio md Dec. 1s, 1891.)

(No Model.)

-3 Sheets-Sheet l.

IIU

. Patented july 3|, |900.

G. P'ALM.

COMBINED STEAM AND EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 18, 1897.! (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

m MVM@ COMBINED STEAM AND EXPLUSIVE ENGINE.

(Application mea De@ 1s, 1397.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

nm #Tm TH: Nonms Pneus do. PnUruLm-lq, wAsmNc-.Tom c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE PALM, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED STEAM AND EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION rermi'ng peut of Lettere Patent No. 654,761, dated July 3i, 1900.

Application tiled December 18, 1897. Serial No. 662,402. KNO model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, GEORGE PALM, a resident of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to engines.

The object oI" my invention is to providean engine so constructed that it may be operated either by steam, compressed air, or gas or by steam or compressed air and gas.

My invention comprises certain novel features, among them that of a cylinderhaving inlet-ports on the one side entering froman ordinary steam-chest, through which steam or compressed air may be admitted to operate the piston within said cylinder, the steamports having valves therein by means of which steam may be shut ott from one end or both ends of the cylinder and ports adapted to admit an explosive mixture to each end of said cylinder from the opposite side to the steam-ports, whereby the said engine may be started by means of steam or compressed air or operated entirely by the .same or by the explosive mixture or by steam and the ex-4 plosive mixture acting upon opposite ends of the piston.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side View of my engine, showing the side from which the engine is operated by means of steam or compressed air. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the opposite side of the engine from that shown in Fig. l or the side from whichlthe air and gas inlets are controlled. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. L is a horizontal section on the.line et 4, Fig. 2Q

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5, Fig.` 4.-. Fig. 6 is a detail of the parts usedfor reversing the entrance of airor gas when the engine is running backward. Figs. 7 and 8 are other details of said device. Fig. 9 is a detail in perspective showing the manner of locking the exhaust-valve in one end of the cylinder in an open position, so that the engine may be run from one side only.

Like letters indicate like parts in each of the gures.

In the drawings, A represents the cylinder, which is attached to the bed-plate B by means of the plate AQ to which the cylinder is bolted.

C is the foundation; b,the shaft; b', the balance-wheel, and Z112 the pulley or belt wheel.

I n operating my engine by compressed air or steam, which I usually do in starting the engine, the air or steam enters through the pipe a into the steam-chest a'. A slide-valve a2 controls the ports as. a4, through which the steam or compressed air enters to the cylinder. The steam or compressed air exhausting through one of these ports enters the space a5 in the slide-valve and passes through the port c to the annular space c', formed around the cylinder in the space between the two shells of the cylinder. My cylinder is formed of two shells, an inner shell d and an outer shell d', the space between the two shells being left fora water-space, as will be more fully hereinafter described. The ports o8 and a4 are also controlled by means of the taper'plugs or valves e e. These are for the purpose of closing said ports when it is desired to run the engine by means of gas or where it is desired to use steam or compressed air only at one end of the cylinder. The slide-valve o2 is attached to the end of the rod o6 which passes out through the stuffingbox d2 and isconnected to the link b2, which in turn is operated by the eccentrics b3 b4.,

connected thereto by the eccentric-rods b5 and b, respectively. A bell-crank leverB', when operated by means of the stem or rod B2, acts to reverse the links, and consequently the engine.

` When I desire to operate my engine by means of gas and air, the gas and air are admitted by the pipes f3 and f to the governorvalvef, the air entering through the pipef, controlled by the cock f2, and the gas entering `through the pipe f3, controlled by the cock f4, 'the mixture of gas and air entering the mixing-chamber f5. From the chamber f5 the mixture of gas and air enters through either one of the cocks g or gto one of the valve-boxes G.. These valve-boxes contain the inlet-valves g2 and the exhaust-valves g3, the valves having seats g4 and g5, respectively.

The stem g6 of each inlet-valve g2 passes through the guide 71, formed in the box G, and has upon its upper end the nut Q7, a spring 7?. being interposed between the nut and the upper face of the guide h. A cap G is fitted into the upper end of each of these IOO end the roller t2, which revolves in the journalA is, fitted to the lower end of said valve-stem t'. The air and gas entering through the port j from the mixingchamber f passes down through the valve into the space G3, formed in the valve-box, andthence it enters through the ports lo into the adjacent end of the cylinde'r. f

The piston L is formed hollow and carries the packing-rings Z, one at each end ofy the piston. A disl/ or wall Z' extends across the center of the iston, dividing the Vpistou into two compartments L- and L2. A- piston-rod M is secured tothe piston at the center of said wall Z and is threaded therein and more permanently secured thereto by means of the jam-nut Z2. This piston is constructed as described for the purpose both of lightening the piston and also of forming a chamber in each endA thereof, into which the air and gas may` be compressed. An annular space or grooveV Z3 is cut upon the outer surface of the piston, midway between the packing-rings Z, for a purpose whichrwill be more fully hereinafter described.

the lower end of the depending arms n4, which' are attached tothe lower end of the -valve- `boxes G. In vthese bearings the shaft In revolves. Guides n are formed upon these depending arms n4, which serve to guide `the ,movement of the stems 'i of the exhaust-valves g3. The gases in exhausting pass through the port la from each end of the cylinder into the space G3 of the valve-box and thence through the openings g8, formed in the valveseat g5, to the space p,formed below said valve,

whencey they escape by means of the opening p' into the pipe p2, which opens into the vmain exhaust-pipe P. When a fresh charge has been compressed in one end of the cylinder, a portion of said charge is forced back through theinlet-port c-to the space G3 in the valvebox G. It is then forced into the ignitingtulle@ through thel passage q', formed in the coupling Q, which is attached to the valvebox-G. A pipe q2 surrounds this ignitingtube q, intowhich a small portion of gas enters through 4the .pipe g3. Air-inlet ports 4 are formed around the circumference at the ower The valve gs is attached Y The exhaust-valves g3 are raisedV and lowered by means of the cams n, whichV end of said pipe g2 for the purpose of supplying air to the gases which come through the pip@ 13- The cams n are so arranged upon the shaft n that they operate the exhaust-valves alter'- nately.V These cams, as shown in Fig. 5, are

set at an angle of .ninety degrees to each other. The bevel-gear o" upon the shaft b is twice the size or diameter of the pinion o', the shaft o2 being revolved at a speed double that o f the shaft h. The pinion o4 is onefourth the diameter of the gear-wheel n2,

thus revolving the shaft n/ at one-fourth the speed of theshaft o2. L By means of these proportions between the gear o, the pinion o', the pinion o4, and gear r1.2-it willbe seenthat the shaft n revolves but once while the shaft b is making two revolutions, allowing the' cams n to raise the exhaust-valves alternately during one cycle of the engine and to remain vclosed during the succeeding cycle i thereof.

To reverse my engine, I turn on the steam or compressed air by operatingl the rod r, which in turn operates upon the cranksr to open the taper-valves e, allowing steam or compressed .air to enter into the cylinder, and thereby operate the engine. By operating the rod B2 the links 57 are reversed, thus` reversing the position of the slide-valve a2, allowingA steam or compressed air to enter the ports opposite to thatl through which they were previously entering, and thus reversing the motion of my engine. During this operation the air and gas are turned on the same as when my engine is being operated thereby. The moment the valves e and e are opened the steam entering the cylinder closes the inlet-valves g2, so that no lmixture of vair and gas may enter the cylinder, and my engine is run by'steam or compressedair, as desired. vWhen the reversing operation has been completed, I operate the rod r to close the valves e and e' in the ports a3 and a4, shutting Vo the steam or compressed air from the cylinder. tinues to revolve the vacuum formed between the piston and end of cylinder acts to open the inlet-valve g2, taking a charge into one end of the cylinder, which upon the reverse movement of the pistonis compressed. At the same time that this charge is compressed a charge is drawn into the other end ofsaid piston in the cylinder, and when the `iirst charge is fully compressed the mixture is G3 in the valve-box` G and from thence through the passage q to the tube q. This tube q is kept at a very high heat by means of, the gas admitted through the pipe g3 burning in the tube q2, and whenvsaid gas is forced back, as previously described, into As the engine con-A IOO IIO

-forced back throughthe port 7c to the space said second charge vis fully compressed the explosion takes place in a similar manner to that previously described, forcing the eX- haustgases out through one of the ports g8 into the space p and thence to the exhaustpipe P, the valve g3 having been opened by means of one of the cams or. When this charge is thoroughly exhausted and the piston starts to return, it forces the exhaustgases out of the other end of the cylinder in a manner similar to that described previously. At the same time that this other charge is being exhausted a fresh charge is being taken into the iirst-mentioned end of the cylinder, and when the piston starts to return this charge is compressed and a charge admitted into the end just exhausted, and both ends of the cylinder are then exploded alternately, and the operation proceeds as previously described. When by means of steam or compressed air I have reversed my engine, it is necessary before the steam or compressed air is cut oft' that the cams n shall be in a proper position to raise the exhaust-valves g3 at the proper time for said reversal of motion. This Y I accomplish by a certain novel construction,

- pins o7 o8 are secured to the shaft o2in a position to enter said grooves o5 o6. As better shown in Fig. 7, when the pinion o is being revolved in the direction of the arrow the hub is in contact with the pin o7 and revolves the shaft therewith. Also thel pin o8, being in contact with the hub of the pinion o4, revolves said pinion therewith. When the engine is reversed, the pinion o will make ahalfrevolution before the metal of the hub of said pinion comes in contact with the pin 07, the parts then being in the position shown in Fig. 8. After the pinion 0' has made thepsaid half-revolution it then in turn revolves the shaft o2 a half-revolution before the pin o8 comes into a position to revolve the pinion o4 in a direction opposite to its previous revolution. It will thus be seen that the shaft b will make one half-revolution in a reverse direction before the pinion o4 willroperate to reverse the motion of the gear-wheel n?, and consequently the shaft fn', the pinion 0 being one-half the diameter of the gear o. When the shaft b further revolves to coinplete the revolution of said shaft, the gearwheel n2, attached to the shaft it', revolves said shaft, bringing the cams into proper position for opening the exhaust-valves for the reverse motion of the engine.

v In Fig. 9 I have shown a means for holding the exhaust-valve open when I desire to run the engine by exploding in but one end of the cylinder. A latch s is pivoted to the upper side of the guide n at s` and is in such a position that the lip s2 of said latchamay be thrown in under the block t3 of the valvestem z', holding the valve g3 in a raised position and allowing' the air to circulate freely in the end of the cylinderl which is not being used during the operation of said cylinder by means of one end only. Ialso close the cock g or g', as the case may be, during said operation.

As previously stated, I form my cylinder with two shells, an inner shell d and an outer shell d', thus allowing a space d3 between said shells,through which water is allowed to circulate. My cylinder-'heads D and D are also formed hollow and with ports d4, communicating with the water-space d3 between the two shells of the cylinder. In the front end of the cylinder is the stuffing-box D2, through which the piston-rod M reciprocates. IhisStufingbox has therein the packing fm.' m2 and a ring m3 between said packing-rings. A cap m4 is bolted to the outer end of said stuffing-box, holding the ring 'm3 and the packing m m2 in place. The ring m3 is formed with two grooves, the one, m5, upon its outer circumference and the groove m6 upon its inner circumference. Ports m7 allow of free access from one groove 'm5 to the other, m6. The water is allowed to enter this outer groove m5 through the ports m8, one of which is shown in dotted lines,Fig.4t. Thence it passes through the port m7 to the groove m6 and surrounds the piston-rod at that point. A water-supply pipet is attached to the lower end of the cylinder, through which pipe water is supplied to the space insaid head. It then passes through the ports d4 (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4) to the space formed between the two cylinders, a portion of said water circulating around the pistonrod in the annular groove m6, with which it is in communication. From the space around the cylinder' it enters through the other ports c7.4 to the space formed in the head D, whence it passes through the pipe t and enters the exhaust-pipe P, as shown in Fig. l, through the openings 152, formed around the lower end of the pipe t', the lower end of said pipe being, closed by means of the plug t3. The mannerof circulating the water and the cooling means for the piston form no part of my invention, and it is not thought necessary to describe the same in any further detail.

The operation of my engine when it is to be operated by gas isas follows: The valves f2 and f4 are first opened, admitting the air and gas to the mixing-chamber f5. The valves g and g are then opened and the mixture of air and gas held in check by means of the valves g2.- Steam or compressed air is then turned on as desired, the rod r being operated to open the valves e and e' in the steam-inlet ports as and a4. The steam or compressed air then acts to start the engine. The inlet-pipe a may be attached to an air-reservoir, into which the air may be compressed while the engine is in operation by means of a pump operated by the Inachinery from the engine. By the use of said air-reservoir air may be stored for the purpose of starting or reversing the engine when desired, and the laborious operation of starting 7o "t, l

IOO

theengine by hand is obviated. When the engine is in full operation and running by means of steam or compressed air, the rod fr is operated to close the valves e and e', cutting off the supply of steam or compressed air, al-

. lowing the mixture of gas and air to enter through the ports 7c to the cylinder and the .engine run thereby. Suppose, for instance,

that thepiston was in the position shown in Fig. 4 and traveling to the right when the "thus be seen that `the engine explodes at each end alternately in the one cycle and then runs supply of steam was cut off, As the piston travels in the direction described the steam inthe end of the cylinder corresponding to p the side L2 of the piston is forced-out through theneghatustfand a vacuum is formed inthe other end of the cylinder, and consequently v in the space Gf3 of the valve-box G. The

mixture of gas and air entering through the port j to the upper end of the valve-box from the mixing-chamber f5 forces the valve g2 away from its seat, and the mixture vof gas and air enters through the port lato that endof the cylinder corresponding to the end L of the piston.V When the piston reverses and travels in an opposite direction, the mixture of air and gas is compressed inthe space between the cylinder-head-D and the piston andin the space L of the piston. At the same-time that said charge is being compressed in the space L of the piston -a charge is being drawn into the other end of the cylinder. When the charge in the space L is compressed, it isv ignited in the manner previously explained and the piston forced in the direction indicated by the arrow, compressing the charge in the other endY of the cylinder in the space L2-of the piston and between the piston and cylinder-head D. When the piston completes itsstroke in this direction, the compressed charge is ignited, forcing the-piston in the opposite direction or in a direction opposite to that indicated bythe arrow, and the exhaust-gases in the end of the Y cylinder corresponding to the end L' of the revolution by its momentum, first exhausting Vthe right.

the gases from the end L2 of the piston and at the same time taking in a fresh charge ofthe mixture in the end L as the piston travels-to When the piston reverses, traveling in a direction opposite to that indicated b-y the arrow, the charge in the end L is compressed, as previously exp1ained,and a fresh' charge is admitted to the end L2 of the piston.

The engine continues to operate in a like manner, taking and compressing, Vexploding and lfMcom'pressing in the one cy'clefexploding and expelling, expelling and compressing in the second\cycleand so on repeatedly. It will The cam operates to lift the that the valve e' is closed, the admission of .steam by the port as will drive the piston to the right and the admission of gas by the portie at the opposite end of the cylinder will drive the piston to the left. Under such circumstances the valves e e will not be operated simultaneously by the rod 12,'but said rod may be disengaged from the cranks r'and said cranks operated independently of each other to close one or other of the valves e e.

'In case it is desired to operate the engine by merely using an explosion at one endV of the vcylinder the valves e e are closed 4and one of the exhaust-valves g2 at the opposite end of the cylinder from that at which the explosive mixture is to enter is lifted and held in its raised position by means of the latch s. The

air in this end of the cylinder is permitted to circulate freely where the explosive mixture is only admitted to one end of the cylinder.

This is a matter of great advantage, as it per-V mits the repairs to be made on the valve mechanism at that end of the cylinder not in use without shutting down the engine. It often occurs in engines where the explosion only takes place at`one end of the cylinder that the valve mechanism or igniting mechanism gets` out of order and a shut down of the engine is the result. By my invention, however, this is avoided, as it would seldom occur that the valve mechanism at both ends of the cylinder would need repair at the same time.

As before stated, my cylinder and cylinderheads are so constructed as to completelyenvelop the space in which the piston travels by a water-jacket. The water entering through the inlet-pipe t into the interior ofthe cylinder-head `D courses through said cylinderhead, a portion of the water entering through the port m8 into the space formed around the piston-rod in the stuffing-box, circulating therein and returningto .the cylinder-head: From the cylinder-head it passes through the openings d4 in said cylinder-head and enters the waterjacket formed between the two shells ofthe cylinder. From this water-j acket it passes through the openings d4 in the cylinder-head D and into the water-space formed in said cylinder-head, from which it passes away through the outlet-pipe t Vand into the exhaust-pipe P. The water circulating around the cylinder in this manner takes up the heat which is imparted to the` inner shell of the cylinder, cooling the same and preventing sudden expansion and ,contraction and pre- IIO -ISO

` cylinder or becoming so loose as to allow the explosion to fly past. If, however, the piston should at any time become so loose as to allow the explosion to y past, the gases will collectin the annular groove Z3, formed around the piston, and will exhaust through the ports l* into the annular space c/ and will pass from thence into the main exhaust-pipe P. The water in leaving the water jacket passes through the pipe t and into the exhaust-pipe P. As the lower end of the pipe t is closed by the plug t3, the water is forced to pass through the perforations t2 in very small streams or jets. The exhaust-gases in passing through the pipe P reduce these jetsiuto spray and mix therewith. This mixing of the spray with the exhaust-gases cools the latter, reducing their volume, and in consequence thereof the exhaust-gases in leaving the exhaust-pipe and entering the air do not expand so suddenly.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an engine, the combination of a cylinder having two sets of ports, one set for the admission of steam to each end of said cylinder, and the other set for the ad mission of an explosive mixture to each end of said cylinder, valves controlling said ports, and a valve in each steam-port, whereby said steam-ports may be completely cutoff from said cylinder.

2. In an engine, the combination of a cylinder having steam-ports at each end thereof, a main valve controlling said ports whereby the steam maybe admitted alternately to each end of said cylinder, an independent valve in one of the steam-ports adaptedto close said port permanently, said cylinder having a port for the admission of an explosive mixture to one end thereof, and inlet and exhaust valves controlling said explosive-mixture port, substantially as set forth.

3. In an engine, the combination of a cylinder having at one end thereof a steam-port, and a port for the admission of an explosive mixture, a steam-Valve controlling said steamport connected to a moving part of the engine to operate said valve, and a stop-valve in the same port between the steam-valve and the cylinder for permanently closing said port to the admission of steam.

4. In an engine, the combinationof a cylindex` having at one end thereof a steam-port, and at its opposite end a port for the admission of an explosive mixture, a steam-valve controlling the steam-port connected 'to a moving part of the engine to operate said valve, and a stop-valve in the same port between the steam-controlling valve and the cylinder for closing said port to the admission of steam.

5. In a gas-engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, said cylinder having two sets of ports at each end thereof, one for the admission of steam, and one for the admission of an explosive mixture, valves for controlling said ports, said gas-valves arranged to be held closed by the steam admitted through said steam-ports.

6. In an engine, the combination of a piston, a cylinder having two sets of ports, one set for the ad mission of steam to each end of said cylinder, and the other set for the admission of an explosive mixture to each end of said cylinder, exhaust-valves controlling the exhaust of steam and explosive mixturefrom said cylinder, mechanism for rendering permanently inoperative one of said inletvalves, and mechanism for rendering permanently inoperative one of said exhaust-valves at the same end of the cylinder.

7. In an engine, the combination of a piston, a cylinder having two sets of ports, one set for the admission of steam to each end of said cylinder, and the other set for the admission of an explosive mixture to each end of said cylinder, exhaust-valves controlling ports leading from said cylinder to the exhaust, means for shutting olf the explosive mixture from one of said inlet-valves at an end of the cylinder, and means for holding one of said exhaust-valves permanently open at the same end of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I, the said GEORGE PALM, have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE PALM.

Vitne'sses:

RoBT. D. ToTTEN, ROBERT C. TOTTEN. 

